Pelican type mooring hook



1956 R. P. MANSFIELD PELICAN TYPE MOORING HOOK 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 11 1951 INVENTOR RAYMOND I? MANSFIELD AoRNEw Oct. 2, 1956 R. P. MANSFIELD 2,764,792

PELICAN TYPE MOORING HOOK Filed April 11. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4.

FIG. 5. FIG 6 INVENTOR RAYMOND P MANSFIELD ATTURNE3 United States PatentO PELICAN TYPE MOORING HOOK Raymond P. Mansfield, United States Navy Application April 11, 1951 Serial No. 220,514

Claims. (CI. 24-73) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the pay ment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to mooring hooks and more particularly to a pelican type mooring hook having a releasable retaining member to provide for case of operation in attachment and releasing of the hook to a buoy or the like.

Prior mooring hooks of the pelican type have the disadvantages of being heavy and so constructed that the operations of engagement to and detachment from a mooring are slow, difiicult, tedious and dangerous, particularly during stormy weather.

The present invention comprises a relatively light weight structure having a shank to which is attached, preferably by means of a pivoting hook and locking ring of the pelican type, the cable from the ship or other object to be moored/while at the opposite end is a curved portion forming a hook and having a spring-operated closure member for quickly and easily attaching the hook to a mooring ring on a buoy.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel combination of a pelican type hook and a detachable mooring hook.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pelican type mooring hook with means attached thereto for ease of manipulation.

A. further object is the provision of a mooring hook that may be quickly and easily attached yet will safely secure the buoy ring and will not become accidentally detached.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical perspective view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, with parts broken away. i

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view of the mooring hook showing an improvement in the spring actuated closure for locking the buoy ring to the mooring hook.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 6--6 of Fig. 4; and s Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation view with parts broken away illustrating the detent 55 and associated bias means of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in Fig. l a shank 10, having at its upper end a mooring hook portion 12,

2,764,792 Patented Oct. 2, 1956 comprised of a curved portion 18, a downward and outwardly extending arm 14, curved portion 16 and lip 17. Curved portion 18 is adapted to receive an eye 15 of a buoy ring (not shown). t the intermediate portion of shank 10 is a boss 13 having a hole 19 which is operatively connected to a pivotally mounted locking member 20, substantially U-shaped, by a pin 22. Substantially across from and slightly above boss 13 is another boss 21 having two threaded holes therein for the purpose of operatively attaching a leaf spring 23 by screws 24, The lip 17 has a sloping seat that faces toward the shank 10 and the curved portion 18 of the mooring hook. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the free end of the spring 23 seats on this seat. i

The lower end of the shank 10 comprises outstanding portions 26 and 27 which form space 29 therebetween. Pivotally mounted by a pin 31 and cotter key 32 in' space 29 is a locking hook 33, comprising a smooth round portion 35, provided for free pivoting in space 29; a substantially round portion 37, for receiving a cable eye 39; an upstanding, inwardly turned beak 40 having at its upper end a hole 41 adapted to receive a cotter pin 43. At the upper end of the shank 10 is a maneuvering handle 45, integrally mounted as shown or welded, for the purpose of supporting and maneuvering the upper end of the device during operation. At the lower end of shank iii, integrally mounted as shown or welded. thereto across the space 29 on the outstanding legs 26 and 27 is a supporting handle 46 for the purpose of supporting the lower end of the device during operation.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 7, a further improvement consists of a spring actuated retainer and a wing-headed bolt for adjustably controlling the tension on the spring. Spring 23a is mounted on boss 21a by means of a pin or screw 54. Spring 23a extends rearwardly and has an aperture 52 therein for receiving bolt 48. Below and adjacent to boss 21a is a surface 49 with a threaded aperture 47 therein suitable for receiving threaded bolt 48.

Retainer 55 is of U-shaped cross-section and is pivotally mounted at 53 to boss 210. Spring 2341 fits between the side walls 56 and presses against the base 57 of the retainer urging it into closed position. The free end of retainer 55 has depending cars extending over the lip 17 on curved portion 16 of the mooring hook. Ears 60 have apertures 58 therethrough in alignment with an enlarged aperture 59 in the curved portion 16 below the lip 17. Aligned apertures 58 and 59 are adapted to receive a locking bolt or cotter pin 63 for locking the retainer in closed position after the buoy ring 15 has been inserted. A safety line 62 attached to arm 14 as at 61 keeps locking pin 63 readily accessible when not in use. The ears 60 taper into base 57 to prevent interference with buoy ring 15 as it is inserted into the mooring hook.

While this invention has many uses, it was designed specifically for use in attaching a ships cable to a distant buoy which, in turn, is anchored. A plurality of buoys about the ship then secures the ship against movement by wind and tide, an important factor in making repairs, raising sunken objects, etc. After the buoys have been positioned about the ship and anchored, a small boat carries out a cable to be attached to the buoy. Then all cables are drawn taut, submerging the buoys, and forming a straight line between the respective anchors and the ship.

Since the mooring hook between the ships cable and the buoy is very heavy, it is very diflicult to make connection, especially in rough sea and turbulent weather. Men have been injured and even killed in trying to make the connection with known types of mooringhooks. The hook in the present invention, as tested by the U. S. Navy, is so constructed that, by use of manipulating and supporting handles, greater control over the hook is achieved. The hook itself is so constructed that engagement with the buoy ring is quickly made, yet will not accidentally become detached when the buoy is submerged as the cable is drawn taut. t

The operation of the device is as follows:

Pin 43 is removed from the hole 41 at the upper end of the beak 40 on the hook 33 allowing hook 33 to pivot about pin 31 free from locking member 20. The eye 39 of a cable (not shown) which may be attached to any device to be secured is inserted over the beak 40 of the hook 33 resting on the round portion thereof. Hook 33 is held up in a position substantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and locking member 20 is pivoted about pin 22 over the upper end of the beak 40, on the hook 33; cotter pin 43 is inserted over the top portion of locking member 20 and through the hole 41 on the upper end of hook beak 40, frictionally engaging the aforementioned hook, hook beak and locking member in a locked position.

The person operating the device then holds the device in a suitable position for the purpose of operation, by maneuvering handle 45 and supporting handle 46. When the device to be secured, represented in this instance by the cable eye 15, approaches, said operator swings the device in a suitable manner to engage the junction of the leaf spring 23 (or base 57 of retainer 55) and the lip 17 on the cable eye 15. The leaf spring bends back, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, allowing cable eye 15 to enter an aperture bounded by the inner walls of shank and hook arm 14 and to come to rest at the rounded portion 18 formed at the junction of the inner walls of the shank 10 and hook arm 14. When the cable eye 15 passes clear of the outer end of the leaf spring 23, the leaf spring snaps back into engagement with the lip 17 on the hook 14 (or urges retainer 55 into said engagement) and secures the cable eye 15 in position.

In the second improvement (see Fig. 4), the wingheaded bolt is tightened, greatly increasing the tension on spring 23a which presses retainer 55 against lip 17 to prevent accidental detachment of eye 15 therebetween. As an additional safety feature, pin 63 may be inserted through aligned apertures 58 and 59.

The first improvement (Fig. 1) is particularly effective when high quality spring steel is available. The second improvement is further eflfective when greater assurance is necessary against accidental detachment. The second improvement is also effective when changes in tension on the closure member are desired, since little tension is desired until the buoy ring is secured and thereafter great tension is desired to prevent accidental detachment.

When the functional purpose of the invention is completed the operator depresses leaf spring 23 into dotted line position (shown in Fig. 2) and removes the device from the cable eye 15. However, under certain hazardous conditions, according to the functional purpose of the hooking arrangement, such as bad weather and heavy seas where the hooking arrangement may be used on buoys and life saving apparatus, or other conditions considered hazardous to the life and health of the operator, cotter pin 43 is removed allowing hook 33 to pivot free of locking member thereby allowing device to fall free of cable eye 39, in which case the device is expendable.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A mooring hook comprising a shank with buoy connecting means at one end, said buoy connecting means comprising a buoy-engaging hook, an inwardly extending lip on the arm of said engaging hook, a boss on the inner edge of the shank, a detent pivotally mounted on said boss and engaging the lip on the arm of the engaging hook when in closed position, a lever type leaf spring means attached to said shank at a fulcrum point on said boss and having a force applying portion thereof engaging said detent to urge it into closed position, and screw means threaded into said shank and engaging said leaf spring means at another portion thereof for controlling the tension of said spring means.

2. The mooring hook as claimed in claim 1 in which the said detent is of U-shaped cross-section at the pivotal end to receive the said boss between the sidewalls at the other end of said detent extending downwardly of said U-shape to form an H-shape in cross-section, the lower portion of said H-shape forming wings extending over the sides of said lip in detent closed position, apertures in said wings and lip aligned in detent closed position and a locking bar for insertion in said apertures to engage the said wings and lip.

3. A mooring hook according to claim 1 wherein an intermediate point of said lever type leaf spring means is attached to the end of said boss to pivot thereon and said screw means passes through an opening in said spring on the end thereof remote from the detent engaging portion.

4. A mooring hook of a type described comprising a shank having an intermediate portion provided with a boss and an aperture, a leaf spring, fastening means securing an end of said spring to said boss with said spring extending outwardly therefrom and with a slope toward an end of said shank, said mooring hook comprising a first hook at said end having a hook arm, said hook arm having an end provided with a lip having a seat, said seat receiving the other end of said spring, a locking hook having an end pivoted to the other end of said shank and its other end free, said locking hook extending from said shank in the same direction as said first hook, and a locking member pivoted in said shank-aperture adapted to lock over said free end of said locking hook, said end of said first hook and said free end of said locking book being spaced, said spring fastening being located longitudinally of said shank opposite the resulting space.

5. Mooring means comprising a shank having a body portion having two ends, each end comprising hook means, the ends of said hook means generally facing each other and being spaced, a first of said hook means comprising the shank bent back upon itself as a hook arm, a lip on said hook arm, a leaf spring, fastening means connecting said spring to an intermediate part of said shank and overlying said lip in closed position, said spring being accessible through the space between said hooks, the second of said hook means comprising a beak member pivotally attached to said shank body portion and movable with respect thereto, a U-shaped member having a base and side walls, said side walls being pivotally attached to said shank body portion near said intermediate part, a locking pin removably fitted in the end of said beak remote from its pivot, said beak member normally passing between said side walls and base of said U-shaped memher, said beak member and locking pin cooperating to latch said beak member inside said U-shaped member, and a pair of handle means secured to said shank on the side of said shank away from said hook means and opposite thereto, said handle means being spaced for handling by a single operator.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 179,515 Bustin July 4, 1876 547,877 Coverts Oct. 15, 1895 582,780 Eldridge May 18, 1897 714,033 Reynolds Nov. 18, 1902 1,118,618 Babb Nov. 24, 1914 1,298,976 Lindsey Apr. 1, 1919 1,486,627 Bodeen Mar. 11, 1924 1,557,495 Griffin Oct. 13, 1925 2,256,164 Mahoney Sept. 16, 1941 

